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Best Of Reykjavík 2019: Best Bar To Start The Night

There is one thing abundantly clear from our very scientific drinking research: craft beers and gastropubs have arrived in force. You can’t throw a stone without hitting someone washing down a dry-aged chilli burger with a local IPA. After a few stable years, Reykjavík’s bar scene seems to be shifting in general, with more wine, cocktails and fancy beers available than ever before. Some facts of life, however, remain the same: alcohol is expensive, but that doesn’t stop us from partying. Bottoms up, babe.

Best Place To Start The Night

Klapparstígur 33

This charming, low key hole-in-the-wall bar is a firm favourite: with comfy seating or bar stools where you can watch the friendly bartenders get to work mixing your cocktail of choice. “You can watch the street life going by through the big windows,” said the panel. “It’s in a vibrant spot.” The great location and happy hour mean it’s the perfect place to begin a night out on the town. “You can be dressed up or down there,” said the panel, “and it’s right downtown, so you can head anywhere afterwards.”

Runner-Up:

Hverfisgata 12

If you like to start the night classy, there’s nowhere better than Reykjavík’s top craft bar. “It’s nice to start with a fancy beer,” said the panel, “somewhere a bit cosy and kind of like a living room. Then you can down some Víking somewhere else and faceplant in a ditch later.”

Runner-Up:

Hverfisgata 52

A cinema bar might seem like an odd choice here, but Bíó Paradís is a cinema like no other. “There’s plenty of space, nooks to hide in, and good prices,” said the panel. “And the smell of popcorn hanging in the air is intoxicating. If you decide against partying, you can just go and watch a movie.”

Previous Winners

2018: Mat Bar
2016-7: KEX Hostel
2015: Loft Hostel
2014: Kaldi Bar

Other Drinking Categories

You can buy a copy of the full Best Of Reykjavík 2019 magazine—an essential guide to having fun in Reykjavík—here, posted worldwide. We also have a Special Offer double-pack that also includes our Best Of Iceland magazine, about places to eat, see, swim, shop and stay, all around the country, here.

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Your essential guide to life, travel and entertainment in Iceland.
Iceland's biggest and most widely read tourist publication. Delivers comprehensive content on all of the main topics of discourse in Iceland at each time: in cultural life, politics or general social affairs. A grand, continuously updated database of Iceland's main restaurants, clubs, cafes, shops, museums, tours and tourist attractions as well as a thorough events listing